The Twice Project
by PotatoRuler
Summary: Kenshin's having a bad day. He's normally a successful bounty hunter, but recently has been kidnapped, hired, and brainswept. He's also probably falling for a brutal killer, who is defiantly mixed up in this Twice Project somehow. A very bad day, it is.
1. Chapter One

Chapter One

There are a few select ways to tell whether or not a person is an assassin or a bystander.

First and foremost: bystanders don't carry guns in their back pockets.

Unless, of course, it's a particularly _mean_ bystander, but bystanders usually realize their tiny roles in the universe, and don't tend to be all that mean—they are mostly good for running and screaming and causing a dreadful commotion.

Such an example would be Bill, who wears a silver earring and works in a high school on a tiny unknown planet in a tiny unvisited galaxy that is unknown for its low tourist rate. Bill is really very unsatisfied with the way is life is going, and his wife is planning to divorce him. (But she hasn't told him yet, so shhh! It's a secret.)

But this story, contrary to popular belief, is not about Bill.

It is about it the famous bounty hunter, Battousai Kenshin.

And it starts with Kenshin, sitting in a bar, warily keeping one eye on his partner, Sano, who was downing his fifth vodka, and one eye on a bystander.

Of course, Kenshin was smart enough to figure out that bystanders do not hang around bars located in the darker parts of the port just to stare at you, as if waiting for you to either get up and start a fight or wait for you to kindly keel over.

And he was sensible enough to realize that a bystander with a gun is not truly a bystander at all, but most likely someone sent to kill him by some very bad, bad men.

Thus, Kenshin decided it would probably be wisest to drag Sano from the hookers and the alcoholic beverages and just leave. Before an actual confrontation occurred.

Alas, dragging Sano away from both hookers and beverages at the same time is quite a hard feat to accomplish.

Even for a famous bounty hunter such as Battousai Kenshin.

…

Did we mention that he was a famous bounty hunter?

"Sano." Kenshin glanced over his shoulder at Mr. Fake Bystander. "Sano, it would probably be best if we just—"

"Stayed?" Sano threw his head back, half his face hidden behind a beer mug. Sitting up a bit straighter he winked at a particularly busty blonde, and nodded to Kenshin. "Sounds like a good idea. Haven't been in a pub this fine for a while." The bartender beamed, and refilled their drinks.

"No. We need to leave." Kenshin cringed as Mr. Fake Bystander stood and started walking toward them.

This was not the place for a fight. A dark alley in the middle of the night? Sure. But scummy as this bar was, it _was_ in the center of the Insula Station, and any number of higher authorities was just a shout away. Kenshin knew, from nasty experience, exactly how easily authorities could be swayed to look the other way until the convenient time.

An assassin wouldn't be stupid enough to come here of all places without paying off a few figure heads.

And gun licenses are, after all, very hard to earn, and very easy to lose. Being without a gun at this time and place would be bad bad bad…

Like it or not, they had to get out of there.

"We are leaving. Now."

"But we don't want you to leave," pouted a pretty girl, pursing her lips and cuddling up to Sano's side.

"Yeah," the original blonde agreed. "Stay. We were thinking of…dancing later."

The pause informed Kenshin that the girl had no intention of dancing in the context of a club and music and lights, but rather something more suggestive that he really didn't want to deal with at this moment.

"Sano?" Kenshin grabbed his arm, pulled him across the table, and hissed in the man's ear, "Apparently someone wants us dead, and I would appreciate it, thankyouverymuch, if you did not associate with prostitutes while I'm trying to plan our getaway."

Sano did not hear much beyond the words of "dead" and "prostitutes", but he got the basic idea, and heaved himself out of his seat with a heavy sigh.

"Sorry girls." He gave a heart-breakingly-charming grin. "We have to get back to the ship. Trading in the Silva Star System. Can't be helped." Kenshin began tugging Sano's sleeve, and muttering a storm of curses, so the tall rascal slipped the ladies his phone number, and allowed his associate to drag him off to the ship.

Kenshin worriedly shoved Sano through the crowded port, trying to remember where exactly the blasted docking area was.

"I think I'm in love."

And Sano was most certainly not being helpful.

"No, really, this is the real deal this time."

The man was following them. He didn't think he could chase them in space, did he?

"Yasha, what a lovely one she was. Yasha, oh Yasha…heh, you didn't happen to catch her last name, did ya?"

No. Unless he was well paid. A well paid assassin would have a good ship, and that ship would most definitely be outfitted with good weapons.

Maybe he and Sano could subtly kill him before they even reached the docks…

"Such a beauty…wonder what her cup size is."

Nah, Sano wasn't sober enough to properly handle anything here.

_Best to get on the ship_, Kenshin thought darkly, _and go hide low in some backwater galaxy for a while._

And this would have been the perfect escape for our heroes.

Except—as they found when they finally did manage to get to their ship—that their craft was currently occupied with Mr. Fake Bystander, and a few of his friends.

They then proceeded, to the extreme embarrassment of Kenshin, to kidnap him.


	2. Chapter Two

Chapter Two

Kaoru tugged on her baggy clothing until it was as tight as…well, as tight as she dared without fear of the material tearing.

This was how it always was. Waiting all day long.

Waiting waiting waiting waiting…

Mr. Aoshi and his cheerful, if not hyper, assistant would leave the planet for places unknown, and Kaoru would stay in the library all day, with nothing to do but read and wander about the mansion and hope against reality that they'd return before she got bored enough to do something stupid.

For, while Kaoru was most certainly not stupid, boredom is an unkind companion, and pointy things are just so interesting…

Kaoru sighed, and gave her hoodie a sharp jerk.

She was all alone here, and—with the exception of those few days when Misao would stay home instead of swooning over her employer—she usually was. Mr. Aoshi had been her legal guardian as long as she could remember, and Misao always seemed to have been around too.

They were a family, dysfunctional, yes, but a family nevertheless.

Kaoru, much to the relief of her two holders, never wonder what her original family was like. If Mr. Aoshi and Misao didn't think that she needed to know, well, Kaoru would just have to trust them.

Fourteen years is a long time to look after someone, and plenty of time to form trust.

"Waiting waiting waiting waiting…"

All her work was done. There was nothing to do. Still.

It wasn't that Kaoru was Mr. Aoshi and Misao's maid, and she certainly wasn't their cook, but she wasn't really anything else either.

Sometimes she'd clean, but usually Mr. Aoshi'd have her organizing and cataloging the books. Mostly he had her practice her hacking and her programming. Then he'd make her fix his computer.

Kaoru grinned.

She honestly couldn't figure out how such a brilliant scientist could crash his computer so many times in a single day.

"Kaoru?"

About time.

"MISAO!" Kaoru bolted from her window seat, vaulted over a stack of encyclopedias, and threw herself at the small figure in the white lab coat. "I've been so bored. I tried to get a copy of government passwords—you know, just for the fun of it and everything—but they, the government, weren't very nice about it at all. They gave my computer a virus, and it won't finish filtering itself for another four hours, so I couldn't even play Tetris."

"Bummer," Misao said sympathetically.

"Kaoru," Mr. Aoshi greeted her. Then he paused, Kaoru assumed, because he was trying to process the last part of the conversation. "Government passwords?"

"Just—"

"—for fun?"

"Yeah."

"You were _that_ bored?"

"Um…well…heh…"

Mr. Aoshi rubbed his forehead tiredly. "We really need to get a dog."

---------------

Misao was worried.

Misao, being the bright and happy being that she usually is, was annoyed with herself and the world. Why did there have to be so many things to worry about? It was all such a bother.

"We need to do something," she announced to Aoshi.

"We need to do nothing. Doing _something_ is far more dangerous than doing _nothing_, and now is not the time to be doing anything dangerous, let alone 'something.'"

"The poor girl is trapped in the house all day—"

"I'd hardly call this castle a mere 'house.'"

"—she has absolutely nothing to do—"

"She has her work. She has everything she's always had for fourteen years."

"—and I think it's time we did something."

"Misao," Aoshi gave her a look that made her face flush, and leaned toward her in his chair. They were alone in the library together, having had let Kaoru out to walk in the gardens, and this fact that had not escaped the delighted Misao.

"Yes?"

"Misao, Shishio is still looking."

The girl visibly froze.

"How—how do we—know?"

"Do you remember—" Aoshi was interrupted by a loud sound coming from outside.

Both sprang from their chairs and darted to the window.

"What the heck was that?" Misao demanded.

Aoshi's reply was cut short by another sound, and what sounded suspiciously like laughter.

---------------

Yahiko was lost, and he wasn't above admitting that.

But he was above asking for directions, especially from this angry dark-haired lady in front of him.

"You know you're trespassing, right?"

He'd tried to be quiet, he really had.

It seemed like ages since he'd last had a good meal, and all he was looking for was a house to rob.

Not a poor house, understand, but a relatively well-off looking home that wouldn't miss a few loafs of bread.

But he couldn't very well tell this lady all that.

"Go away." Yahiko tried to go around her, but she took a step to the side every time he tried to move.

"What are you doing here anyway?" The lady stuck her face close down toward his. Their noses almost touched. "You don't look like a trespasser. I've seen lots 'n lots of trespassers here before, but you don't look like any of them." She cocked her head to the side. "You hungry?"

"Y…y…yeah, thanks," Yahiko stuttered. Nervously he rearranged his backpack, and took a step in the lady's direction.

His boot caught on a vine, and he pitched forward, yelping loudly as he hit the ground.

"Not very graceful, are ya?" The lady pretended to trip, yelped in a pretty good imitation of him, and grinned in the dirt. "That's okay. Grace is nice, but falling is fun."

"Um," he didn't know what to say. This lady was weird.

She started laughing. "I'm Kaoru."

"Yahiko."

Kaoru grabbed his hand. "Come on, Yahiko!"

She pulled him through the garden and up the steps and into the house.

She didn't stop pulling, in fact, until they were in a big library, and were standing in front of a serious-faced man.

He looked Yahiko up and down doubtfully. The lady next to him giggled, and nudged the man.

"So much for getting a dog."


	3. Chapter Three

So, for the last two chapters I've been neglecting the responsibility of a disclaimer, so here ya go. 

Ah-hem.

_**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the Rurouni Kenshin cast. The end._

Oh, and congrads to WhiteRabbit5 for being my first, and thus far only, reviewer. A million kisses to ya!

* * *

Chapter Three

Kenshin suspiciously kept his arms tightly to his sides as both he and Sano were led toward the cockpit. He rubbed his left arm against one of the larger pockets on the front of his coat, trying to wriggle the gun from the folds of the cloth.

Kenshin was carefully cradling his hidden gun in the crook of his elbow by the time the small group reached the cockpit.

This was part of why Kenshin was suspicious.

Of all the rooms and compartments on the ship, why the cockpit?

It had the most powerful energy source.

Were they going to be tortured?

He eyed his surroundings gloomily.

"It is a pleasure to meet the two of you. Mr. Battousai, Mr. Sagara." A tall man nodded politely to them. His eyes flickered toward Mr. Fake Bystander. "Were we sighted?"

"Security cameras disabled, local police distracted, and we eliminated the two young ladies seen sighted with them."

For the first time Sano showed some real interest in his surroundings.

"Ya killed Yasha?" His mouth was hanging open in a ridiculous way, and Kenshin took the opportunity to nudge his gun closer to his cuffed hands. "But…but…she was Yasha. She was a good girl."

"She," the man said in an annoyed tone, "was a prostitute."

"And, and she did so much for the community!" Sano straightened and glared. "I'll have you know that you killed one of the kindest, nicest creatures on this station. She…she may not have been all that pure, but Yasha was a good girl. My girl." He began tearing up. "I love her."

"You met her yesterday," Kenshin muttered under his breath.

Sano thought a bit.

"Oh yeah."

Their host took a long look at Sano, who obviously had failed some sort of test, and turned to Kenshin, giving him the same once-over.

He took a step back, satisfied.

"My name is Hajime Saito, and I am to take you to your new employer." Saito motioned with a gloved hand, and Sano and Kenshin were untied.

Kenshin, unsure whether to use his gun now or wait and see what would happen, casually let the weapon slip back into his pocket.

Saito motioned for them each to take a seat, and—because of the close quarters—only had to reach across Sano to pick up a stack of papers, and then handed them to over to Kenshin.

Curious, Sano leaned to read over Kenshin's shoulder.

"I am in no way connected to your new employer. I was only hired for this transportation, so any further questions you will have to take up with him when you meet him. We will be going to the Populus star system." Saito tapped the papers. "I was asked to brief you on the way over. First, your employer heard of you along with a list of other assassins, thieves, bounty hunters, and other fighters of specific…talents. Understand that you are not to be the only ones hired, so—"

"Hired to do what?" Sano interrupted.

"To find an item of particular value to your employer." Saito leaned toward the papers again. "Now—"

"What kind of item?" Sano interrupted again.

Saito glared. "That is not of my business." He resumed his speech. "As I was saying, others will be hired, so the first one to execute your employer's wishes will be paid in full."

"So," Kenshin rubbed his cheek thoughtfully, "it's a race."

Saito nodded shortly. "Yes a race." He paused. "Any questions?"

"Why can't you tell us any specific details?" Sano asked.

"Those are not my business."

"That," Kenshin said in a matter of fact tone, "and you're a cop."

Saito's expression didn't change, but he didn't say anything either.

"You can't tell us any of the illegal parts of this, or risk being prosecuted in court, should all this fall apart. You want to be able to say that you really didn't know anything."

Silence.

"Yes, more or less." Saito admitted. "Anything else?"

"Yes." Kenshin sat up straighter. "Why are we here? I mean, in this exact room?"

"We need the power."

Now Sano looked suspicious.

"For what?"

Saito smiled for perhaps the first time since they'd met him.

"We're going to need to brainsweep you."

"…" Kenshin had nothing more to say.

"Wha—wha—?" Unlike Sano. "What the hell? Doesn't this guy trust us?"

"Apparently not." Saito nodded at one of the men. "Kindly take care of Sanosuke first. I would like to talk to Kenshin alone." Saito stood. "Mr. Battousai?"

The two left Sano alone to get his mind screened for traitorous thoughts.

"Don't worry," Saito said to Kenshin's silence. "As long as he isn't planning something stupid, my men won't hurt him."

"You're Hajime Saito."

"Last time I checked."

"I've read about you. You're the last person I'd expect to cart criminals back and forth across the galaxy."

"Who said I'm providing a ride for anyone other than you and Sanosuke?"

Kenshin stared at him.

Sighing, Saito waved away his look. "That's what I'm trying to talk to you about. There are…there are certain things going on. With your new employer."

"And," Kenshin connected the dots, "you want an inside man."

"Something like that." Saito slipped him a small grey object. "Give me a call, for whatever reason."

Kenshin glanced briefly down at the phone.

"And why me?"

"Because," Saito replied, with something akin to grumpiness, "you're the only one without a criminal record."

"But Sano…?"

Saito sighed again. "As I said, you're the only one without a criminal record."

Kenshin hid a smile, and followed the officer back to the cockpit of his own ship to have his brain swept.


	4. Chapter Four

Y'know, if I had more reviews from more readers I would probably update faster.

I know I've been holding up a pretty good streak lately, but it probably won't always be that way.

Unless, I had motivation…

hint-hint-nudge-nudge-wink-wink-

You're my readers (at least, I _hope_ there's more than one of you).

You know what to do.

_Disclaimer: I do not own Kenshin or Aoshi or Saito or any particularly cool characters in this fic. Don't it just suck?_

* * *

Chapter Four

Kaoru was happy.

No, that would be an understatement.

Kaoru was Misao on an odd mixture of steroids and caffeine, if you can bear to imagine that.

She hadn't made a new friend since she was three, and technically Misao and Aoshi—great as they were—didn't count, so Yahiko was officially her first official companion.

_Officially_.

But that was not the reason, oh no, that Kaoru was so happy.

Friends were all well and fine, but this was way bigger than any of that.

"We are leaving the planet," Mr. Aoshi had announced, after a stuffed and sleepy Yahiko had been sent to one of the guest rooms.

Kaoru was happy.

Yes, we know that's an understatement, but it's the truth.

They'd always lived here. Always.

They'd never been anywhere else. Never.

And now Devicia. They were going to Devicia; possibly the best-known trading planet, and they were going.

"We," Misao had added softly, "are leaving tomorrow."

This had been cause for a minor blip in the endless cloud of Kaoru's elation.

She wasn't dumb. They were leaving for a reason, and that reason probably involved the law, and a certain amount of trouble that they were in. Which implied illegal actions on the part of Mr. Aoshi and Misao.

This had not worried Kaoru, not at all. In fact, she was really nearly impressed with her guardians. Criminal enough that they had to move? No legally adopted daughter could have been prouder.

"Tomorrow," Mr. Aoshi explained, "you will have your things ready, your friend will go home, Misao will take you to the landing strip, you'll meet me there, and we'll arrive at Devicia in two weeks."

"Can't Yahiko come with us?" Give up her first friend in fourteen years? Never. "I don't think he has a home."

Misao winced. "Kaoru, I don't think there'll be enough room onboard for an active kid. He'll feel cramped and miserable, I think."

"Can't I just ask?"

"We can't be responsible for some kid we found only a few hours ago," Misao said reasonably.

"But can't we be responsible for a dear friend in a time of need?"

"…"

Misao regarded her friend wistfully.

"Are you bent on turning this into a big, dramatic, Hallmark-channel-type-thing?"

Kaoru didn't have to think twice.

"Of course."

Misao rolled her eyes, but grinned a little. "It's fine by me."

Mr. Aoshi, watching all this in a sort of stunned silence, finally nodded. "I suppose I agree, since if I don't I just know I'll have mutiny to fear."

Misao and Mr. Aoshi watched Kaoru skip to the stairs.

"You're sure we can deal with a kid right now? It's going to be dangerous."

"Yep." Misao gave him a confident grin. "It's only a trip to Devicia. Think of it like a vacation. Like for fun, or something."

"A vacation." Mr. Aoshi nodded. "A vacation with Shishio sending his best recruits and weapons and ships to track us down while we're virtually defenseless?"

Misao shrugged.

"Something like that."

---------------

Kaoru rocked back and forth on Yahiko's mattress.

Why couldn't the kid just wake himself up already?

She rummaged in her pocket for a pen, and began poking the sleeping boy's right temple.

"Yahiko?" _Poke poke._ "Ya-hikoooo…?" _Poke poke poke poke poke…_ "Wake up."

"Ermf…whaddya want?" He rolled over and hid under the red blanket.

"We're going to Devicia tomorrow. Wanna come?"

Under the quilt Yahiko's eyes popped open.

Devicia? The trading capital?

Last time he checked that citied was filled with spies.

_I can't stay here forever,_ he reasoned with himself under the cover. _Devicia…It sounds like the perfect place to start. Better than here, isn't it?_

"Yahiko?" Kaoru started tickling him through the covers. "Yahiko, are you still there? Did you fall asleep again?"

Yahiko made a very convincing sleepy sound.

_And there'll be plenty of stops along the way…I can get off whenever I want…If I do actually go all the way to Devicia with them, I can always stay with them. For a while._

"Yahiko?"

_It wouldn't hurt. And then I can get back to work._

"Are you listening to me?"

_Maybe…_

"I'll go." He uncurled suddenly, sat up, and playfully pinned Kaoru against the wall with his pillow. "But, ugly, I'll only go if ya lemme get some sleep."

Kaoru managed to leap with joy and pummel the small boy with cushions at the same time, engaging him in all-out pillow warfare, and doing her best to make his very survival hard.

…

But not too hard.


	5. Chapter Five

Okay, so I feel reeeeeeeally guilty for the extreme lack of updating.

It's the summer, I swear. It really gets to ya… But, of course, that's no excuse.

Enjoy this chapter, and celebrate my return!

_**Disclaimer: **I do not own any anime. I never have. I probably never will. Ah, disclaimer, why must you torment me so?_

* * *

Chapter Five

Something was wrong.

Something was very very wrong.

Yahiko hadn't had the time to think about it before, but now that he was here on this tiny ship with its tiny crew, he had to wonder.

Why were these people leaving so abruptly?

Sure, it was odd that they'd invited him, and, sure, they could just be a little on the eccentric side.

But why were they going so fast?

Were they being chased?

It was a distinct possibility, and Yahiko almost had the nerve to ask Kaoru about it…but then he realized how truly clueless she seemed to be about the whole situation.

Maybe not even clueless, but…uncaring?

Which brought up the whole thing about Karou. She didn't act like most people her age should act. She didn't wear the right clothing, or brush her hair every day, or put on ladies' perfume, or even seem to care at all what others seemed to think about her.

Not that all that mattered, Yahiko told himself sternly. They were giving him shelter, a food, and a ride. That was all he needed, as long as everything went according to plan.

"Yahiko!" Kaoru bounced down next to his little nest of cushions. She yanked and pulled some blankets and pillows around them, until they were in a small lake of fabric under the big window. "Are you excited?"

"Yep, very much."

"Me too. I want to go to the markets and see what all there is. I've heard you can get nearly every computer book _ever_ _written_." She leaned closer, eyes wide. "Can you imagine?"

"Nope."

"Why are you excited?"

Yahiko paused. It couldn't hurt to tell her a half-truth, could it?

"I'm hoping to find someone." He faced the window again. "They…they know my family, and I hope to find them."

"Really?" Kaoru showed a polite expression of mild interest, but then reached casually over one shoulder, unzipped her backpack, and pulled out her laptop. Then she started typing. "Doesn't this thing go fast?"

"Eh?" Yahiko looked at her, confused. "The ship?"

"Yeah. And the guns are pretty cool too. Misao once told me she trained to use those types of guns. She showed me, once, how to fire them."

Guns? They were on an armed ship? Things were looking odder ever minute.

After all, if they had guns, they had to be expecting _something _to happen.

Kaoru's computer bleeped.

"Look at this. I've got pictures of the planet from satellites." She pushed the slender machine into his lap, and pointed at the beautifully colored photos of a crowded Devicia. "Lots 'n lots of stuff to do," she told him. "Libraries and restaurants and theatres. But I'm most excited about the theatres, 'cause I've never seen on before. I saw a restaurant once, and it wasn't all that great, but I really wanna see a theatre."

"They're pretty big," Yahiko said.

Kaoru gaped at him.

"You've seen a theatre?"

Yahiko felt embarrassed with all the admiration.

"It wasn't that big a deal…"

"Yes, it was! It's a big deal!" Kaoru leaned one shoulder against the window. She closed her eyes and thought about the mansion and the library and her family. Misao and Mr. Aoshi had been good to her, but… "This is a very, _very_ big deal."

Yahiko frowned and remembered his plan, his decisions, his actions—all of it.

And he couldn't help but agree.

---------------

Saito nodded as Kenshin pulled the wires carefully away from the back of his neck.

Kenshin frowned at the jumble of cables in his hand. Brainsweeping isn't painful per say. But it is not comfortable, mentally or physically.

On one hand you're having your most personal thoughts probed, and on the other, you've got an annoying little headache.

No fun, no fun at all…

"You're clean enough." Glancing briskly at an expensive-looking watch, Saito gave a nod to the two men. "We'll reach Devicia in just under eighteen hours. I suggest you get some sleep."

"And Devicia is where we're meeting this boss guy, right?" Sano asked. "And find out exactly what we're going to be hired to find? And where we're actually supposed to look? You're not really being all that helpful."

Saito gave a fierce glare…the effect of which was somewhat diminished by the fact that this Sanosuke had a point.

A good point.

Damn.

"Yes. You will be meeting your employer. Now, if you wish, my men shall show you to your cabins."

As much as Kenshin tried, he couldn't think of a single thing wrong with all of this.

He really would have liked to be able to refuse all this. He really would have liked an excuse. Nearly anything was better than being flown across the universe without having any say in it.

But this would be good, easy money.

Kenshin looked bleakly at their cabins, which had separate bathrooms and private quarters, and bunk beds—(even though there was only one man to a room).

This was unfair.

Bunk beds were just plain spiffy.

How could Kenshin fight bunk beds?

Sighing, he sat down on the lower mattress, and half-listened to Sano talk excitedly about the possible money, the possible women, the possible all-of-it…

_Nothing new, _Kenshin thought. _Nothing new is going to happen._

But it was at this precise moment when their ship did attacked—rather than _were_ attacked—a small passing vessel. It was at that precise moment when said smaller ship returned fire with some pretty impressive ammunition of its own.

And then, just to make things more interesting, the pirates showed up.


	6. Chapter Six

Ah, chakitattyla2h8, my Spanish-speaking reviewer (yes, yes, I snuck a peek at your profile), you make me feel so loved!

Thanks a bunch for the lurvly review, and thanks to the rest of you as well.

_Disclaimer: I don't own RK._

* * *

Chapter Six

Mr. Aoshi was troubled.

Understandably, of course. You would be too if your ship was randomly attacked by a larger force.

Misao was a fair pilot, he reasoned. And there wasn't any need to worry about safety just yet, but that was no reason not to be concerned. Nearly five hours into the flight and they were already being shot at by complete strangers.

And then there were the pirates.

Nasty people, but not overly aggressive. As soon as they saw that there was nothing to steal, they'd most likely be on their way.

"_Mr. Aoshi?_" Misao's voice sounded slightly panicked over the speakers. "_We haven't taken on much damage, but I don't think our fuel will hold up much longer._"

"Don't we have more in storage?"

"_Left it at home, remember? To save time and not weigh down the ship?_"

"Any suggestions?"

"_Yes, but you're not going to like any of them._" Misao took a deep breath, causing a series of sharp crackles over the speakers. "_We could surrender, but it'd be like walking blindly in the dark. We don't know who these guys are, or what they want._"

"…Go on."

"_Or we could appeal to the pirates. They might lend us some fuel, in exchange for a weapon or two._"

Mr. Aoshi decided to brood for a while. He was very good at this.

"Send word to the pirates. They may not be entirely trustworthy, but at least we can better understand their actions."

"_I'll be right on it, Mr. Aoshi!_" Misao's perky voice disappeared as the speakers were clicked off.

Carefully gathering any possible trading materials, Mr. Aoshi noticed the larger ships pulling up slowly next to theirs. He cringed at the sound of grinding metal, and then glared at the following silence.

_What are they trying—_this thought was abruptly cut off by the strained sounds of doors being forced open.

The strangers were boarding the ship.

---------------

Kaoru and Yahiko were confused.

However, unlike Mr. Aoshi, they were not troubled in the least. True, there was a fight of some kind going on, and true, they might die, and there was always the possibility of capture and torture.

…

But what it not all so terribly exciting?

"The cookies are done!"

Oh yes! And Yahiko had made chocolate chip cookies. There is no way in the universe that you could possibly be troubled when in the presence of chocolate chip cookies.

"Pirates!" Kaoru said admiringly, taking a bite out of a particularly large cookie. "This is the best trip ever."

"It is," Yahiko sighed in agreement, untying the stained apron he'd borrowed from Misao. Then he sat up a bit straighter. "But shouldn't we be doing something more useful than eating?"

"We are storing up energy," Kaoru said through a messy mouthful. "We aren't expected to do any more than that."

"So…there's _nothing_ for us to do?"

Kaoru swallowed, and sighed.

"I suppose we could turn on the security system."

Turning on the security system is, obviously, a fancy phrase for locking and bolting all the doors. Which is exactly what Kaoru and Yahiko proceeded to do.

After finishing off every last cookie, and washing the whole load down with two glasses of icy milk.

For all that good cookie energy.

Yeah, that's it. The energy.

---------------

"Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap…" Sano darted from window to window, worriedly watching the ongoing destruction outside.

"Stop that," Kenshin calmly commanded from his position on his bed. "We're traveling with criminals, with the possible exception of Saito. Did you honestly expect anything else?"

"But—but that ship—it's got a government license. Those people are probably doctors or scientists or politicians (in which case their deaths might not mean all that much), and we can't just openly fire on 'em. They're defenseless."

"They don't seem to be all that helpless to me."

It was true enough; the small ship had caused extensive damage. Nothing mortal, but damage nonetheless.

"Which," Kenshin said slowly, "makes me wonder how they got their license in the first place."

"Think we should check it out?"

The two men stopped momentarily to listen to the firing.

"I don't plan on following orders while I am aboard this ship," Kenshin said.

"What about what happened with Saito?"

"…Those weren't orders," Kenshin snapped huffily. "Merely suggestions. Let's go."

To their surprise, nobody was around. No guards, no soldiers, no sentries—

"No Saito!"

It could not be said that Sano was disappointed about the current state of things.

"They can't all be piloting the ship," Kenshin said suspiciously. "And they can't all be manning the weapons…weren't there only four lasers?" He remembered the phone that Saito had given him. Should he give the man a call? The man was with the police. Or should he just go check things out on his own?

His question was answered with the loud screech of metal on metal.

"So…we're stopping the ship to have a friendly cup of tea with our new best friends?" Sano guessed. The firing grew louder, and the pirates grew closer. "I thought not."

"I am going over," Kenshin announced.

"Um, why?" Sano demanded. "We're perfectly safe over here. Let's just go back to our cabins, lay down, mebbe have a cup of coffee, and just think about all of this." He looked around. "Kenshin? Kenshin!_ Wait for me, dammit_!"

---------------

Yahiko grunted and gave the lock one last twist.

There. That should be able to keep any potential bad guys out.

Suddenly the edges of the door started glowing a faint blue color. Curious, Yahiko leaned down to get a better look. Hesitantly, he stuck one finger out, and poked it.

"Ouch!"

It was hot. Why was it hot?

"Yahiko?" Kaoru paused behind him. "What's wrong?"

The small boy was interrupted by a quick flash of light, and their door's untimely removal. Yahiko was just only barely saved from a very squishy death by a swift kick from Kaoru. Yes, this left him grumpy and bruised and disgruntled, but at least he was not smooshed by the big metal door, which would have been a fairly messy death.

Stepping onto the ship, Kenshin quickly looked around, and noted the lack of immediate danger.

No pirates…yet.

Not even any of Saito's men.

Just a boy, and a—

"What? _Ouch!_ Hey—"

"GET OFF THIS SHIP!"

—a girl with a pretty good punch.

And _really_ pretty eyes.

* * *

So in this chapter Kenshin and Kaoru finally met. Yes, I took my time, but since my chapters usually are kinda on the short side, it hasn't been that bad a wait, eh? 


End file.
